I’m still umming and ahh-ing about whether or not to have a bold lip at my wedding (because church kiss), but I really love the idea of a deep berry lip during an Autumn wedding. Such a difficult decision to make! If you’ve worn a bold lip down the aisle, I’d love to hear how it went- did half of it end up on the groom?

I’m not sure Phil suits a vampy lip.

FOTD makeup breakdown…

Eyes:

– Matte beige shade from the Sleek Storm palette blended all over top lid just past the crease (3rd shadow from the left on the top row of shadows in the palette)

I purchased the Rouge Allure Gloss in Distinction (rrp $52 AUD) as I was going through Duty Free last year. I’m a sucker for a glossy berry lip, and even though I have a number of nearly identical berry toned lip products– there’s always room in my heart for one more.

Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in Distinction is a pigmented cool berry shade with a juicy gloss finish on initial application. It is almost opaque in 2 layers and the pigmentation intensifies with each reapplication through the day.

I feel like it is at it’s most gorgeous when first applied and then loses it’s glossiness quite quickly- becoming more of a cross between lipstick texture and stain on the lips. The product still looks reasonably nice once the shine wears off but what initially drew me to Distinction was the dimensional glossy colour- so it’s a little unfortunate that this aspect of the product is so fleeting. Wear time overall is about 3 hours.

Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss Distinction is neither drying nor moisturising. As with many dark colours, (exceptions to this include YSL Glossy Stain in Brun Glace, and at the other end of the price point spectrum- Face Of Australia Lip Paint in Very Berry) it can sometimes settle into lip lines if your lips are dry- so prep lips beforehand if you want this to sit nicely.

Overall- it is a stunning colour on initially application but becomes a bit blah after about 15 mins. For the luxe price point I would hesitate to repurchase

Minerologie Blush Duos:

Sunset/Riviera- Sunset is a apricot toned brown shade with medium pigmentation. It works well as a bronzer and for contouring. Riviera is a pale peach colour with sheer pigmentation.

Harmony/Wallflower– Harmony is a pale matte pink which leans cool. It has sheer pigmentation. Wallflower is a medium coral pink with high pigmentation.

Sunset and Wallflower both have great longevity and pigmentation- I have been wearing these together (Sunset to contour and Wallflower on the apples of my cheeks) for long days at work and they’ve both lasted really well to the end of the day. This combo is worn on the full face image above.

Mineralogie Purple Velvet lipstick (RRP $38.00)is not for the faint of heart. It is a full on dark grape purple with a metallic finish- wear it with confidence or don’t wear it at all. Personally, I don’t think I could pull off this lippy- perhaps to a 90s dress up party, but not for everyday.

Pigmentation is medium but buildable- although it does tend to apply a little patchy, particularly if you’re lips are a bit dry- this is one of those lipsticks that you need to prep your lips for.

Purple Velvet is a limited edition release.

For a review of the rest of the Minerologie Spring 2014 Collection, see my previous post.

note: these products were sent by PR for review. For more details on my editorial policy see PR tab.

Spring is upon us in Australia, but as far as I’m concerned- vampy berry lips are not just a winter staple. Here are two plummy shades by Sisley- one from their Long Lasting Lipstick line, and another glossier product from their Phyto Lip Shine range. After test driving these two in person- I’d say that the Sheer Plum Phyto Lip Shine is the clear winner for me. It has a more modern, hydrating finish, and a slightly warmer tone that suits my olive skin better- I’m wearing it today at work, and I feel that it looks great as a 9-5 power lip with crisp white shirt.

Available: selected David Jones nationally

Sisley Phyto Lip Shine ($50) in Sheer Plum is a mauve-berry with a subtle glossiness and just detectable amount of silver shimmer (not so much a frost finish, but enough shimmer to keep the colour from looking flat). Pigmentation is medium.

After picking up Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage quad at the end of last year, I found myself reaching for it almost daily. For most of January I was in Perth- working and living out of a suitcase, so it was fantastic having such a versatile palette which can work with other shadows or on it’s own.

When I couldn’t be bothered to think about what to wear on my eyes (in the morning before work, or on my way out to drinks), I would do this super simple brown smoky eye. The concentration of the liner and shadows on the outer corners gives a subtle doe eyed look, and I’ve avoided lining the waterline to make it wearable for day and night- and work with both nude lips and bold lips.

Nothing groundbreaking here, but I thought it would be nice to show you what the shadows from the Cocoa Mirage quad look like as they’re layered step by step.